Summertime means lazy days spent outdoors enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. But it also means dealing with pests, like ants. How to kill ants without killing plants? If you have a garden, getting rid of ants can be extra challenging because you don’t want to use pesticides that will harm your plants.
Ants can quickly ruin your garden or home if left untreated. But what do you do if you want to get rid of the ants without harming the plants? In this blog post, we will discuss seven safe solutions for killing ants without killing plants!
Ants as Pests
Most ants are harmless and can even be beneficial to your garden. They help aerate the soil and can act as natural pest control by eating other insects. But there are some species of ants, like carpenter ants, that can cause damage to your home. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood, which can weaken the structure of your home. If you have carpenter ants, it’s important to get rid of them as soon as possible.
There are a few ant species that can be pests in your garden, like fire ants and Pharaoh ants. Fire ants are aggressive and will sting anything that disturbs their nest. Pharaoh ants are known for contaminating food and spreading disease. If you have either of these ants in your garden, you’ll want to get rid of them as soon as possible.
How to Kill Ants Without Killing Plants?
There are a few safe solutions you can use to eliminate ants without harming your plants.
1. Use vinegar and water solution.
You can get rid of ants by making a homemade vinegar and water solution. Vinegar is a great natural ant killer, and it’s safe for both humans and plants. To make your own ant spray, mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spritz it on areas where you’ve seen ants. You can also soak cotton balls in the mixture and place them near ant hills or anywhere else you’ve seen ants crawling around. This ant bait will kill the ants that eat it and will help get rid of the rest of the colony.
2. Make a sugar and boric acid trap.
Sugar and boric acid is a deadly combination for ants. Boric acid is a poison that will kill ants, but it’s safe to use around humans and plants. To make your own ant trap, mix equal parts sugar and boric acid and place it on a piece of cardboard or a plate. You can also put the mixture in a small container with holes punched in the lid so the garden ants can get inside. The ants will be attracted to the sugar and crawl into the mixture, where they will die.
3. Sprinkle cornmeal around your plants.
Cornmeal is another natural ant killer that’s safe for humans and plants alike. Sprinkle it around the base of your plants or anywhere else you’ve seen ants crawling around. The cornmeal will kill the ants when they eat it.
4. Use diatomaceous earth.
This powder is made from fossilized algae and can be found in most hardware stores or online. It works by puncturing holes in an ant’s exoskeleton, causing them to dehydrate and die. To use diatomaceous earth, sprinkle it around your plants or wherever you’ve seen ants crawling around. Just be sure not to inhale it, as it can be harmful to humans if inhaled in large quantities.
5. Place a cinnamon stick near the ant colony to deter them
Cinnamon is a natural ant repellent, so placing cinnamon sticks near your plants can help keep ants away. You can also make a cinnamon spray by boiling water and adding a few cinnamon sticks to the water. Let it cool, then pour it into a spray bottle and spritz it on ants nests or areas where you’ve seen ants crawling around.
6. Use essential oils such as peppermint oil, lemon, or lavender to repel ants
Essential oils are another great natural ant repellent. You can make your own ant spray by adding a few drops of essential oil to water in a spray bottle and spritzing it on areas where you’ve seen ants crawling around. On your garden plants, you can add a few drops of essential oil to a cotton ball and place it near the plant.
7. Spray the ants with liquid dishwashing soap to disrupt their chemical communication system
The dish soap breaks down the ant’s chemical communication system, which is how they communicate with each other. This will make it difficult for them to find their way back to their nest and will eventually kill them. To use liquid dish soap as an ant killer, mix a few drops of dish soap with water in a spray bottle and spritz it on the ants.
8. Use lemon juice to repel ants
Lemon juice is another great natural ant repellent. You can make your own ant spray by adding lemon juice to water in a spray bottle and spritzing it on areas where you’ve seen ants crawling around.
9. Place orange peels near ant hills
The citrus scent of orange peels will help repel ants. You can place orange peels near an ant hill, ant colonies, or anywhere else you’ve seen ants crawling around in exterminating ants.
10. Use chili pepper flakes to deter ants
Chili pepper flakes contain capsaicin, which is a natural ant repellent. You can sprinkle chili pepper flakes around your garden plants or anywhere else you’ve seen ants crawling around. Just be sure not to get it on your skin, as it can cause irritation.
Conclusion: How to kill ants without killing plants?
Dealing with pests is just one of the realities of summertime gardening. An ant infestation can be a big problem, but you don’t have to resort to harmful chemicals to get rid of them. These seven natural solutions will help you kill ants without harming your plants. Try one or more of these methods the next time you see ants crawling around your home or garden.
For more gardening tips, read Create Your Own Small Backyard Paradise.
